When you meet Frank Kovacs Jr., it’s nearly impossible to believe he’s welcoming his 105th birthday April 24, 2019.
When you meet Frank Kovacs Jr., it’s nearly impossible to believe he’s welcoming his 105th birthday April 24, 2019.
Born in 1914, the Troy Township resident prided himself on three things as he navigated his way from being the eldest son of Hungarian immigrants to the point he’s at today: living healthily, practicing his faith and approaching the world with a pragmatic point of view.
Having only recently become reliant on the help of a wheelchair to aid in mobility, handshake is as firm and strong as a much younger man’s.
His eyes are bright and clear, and his smile is big as he is congratulated on his upcoming birthday.
Kovacs Jr.’s personal living area at Brooks House Assisted Living on Claridon Troy Road, is neat, with framed family photographs arranged on the walls. He picked a spot by the window for his interview, where he watched the songbirds stop to enjoy a meal from the birdfeeder.
“I was an amateur photographer,” he said, making a sweeping gesture to a framed photograph of a stream, surrounded by trees in blazing fall colors, which he took in pursuit of his hobby. “I did a lot of our family portraits and landscapes.”
Kovacs Jr. was the eldest of seven children and has fond memories of growing up in the days before every playground had safety features.
“Our playground had big poles, 40 feet high. We’d go out at recess and climb to the very top and spin down. That was what we did, then,” he said, laughing.
He attended grade school in Cleveland and recalled how the steel mills would send clouds of smog over the area.
“One day it got so dark because there wasn’t any wind to blow them away,” he said. “We were scared and the principal got on the loudspeaker. He led the entire class in prayer and soon the clouds blew away. I had a lot of respect for him for that.”
His appreciations for his principal’s actions are no doubt tied to the strong religious beliefs his parents instilled.
Kovacs Jr.’s father, Frank Kovacs Sr., worked as an interior decorator while his mother, Julia, took in odd jobs to help the family as she dedicated herself to raising their children. Hungarian Baptist by denomination, they were active in the church.
The lessons learned there stayed with Kovacs Jr., who later was prominent in the formation of the Cedar Hill Baptist Church, of which he was a founding member.
He excelled in mathematics and music in school, playing both the trumpet and the French horn. While attending ninth grade at East Tech High School, he was selected to play solo in the All City Orchestra. His life changed dramatically with the beginning of World War II.
“They were attacked,” he said, recalling Pearl Harbor. “I remember seeing it on the news. So, I joined the (U.S.) Navy.”
True to his practical personality, the day he reported to duty, Kovacs Jr. was prepared for a life beyond his service — he had ordered a correspondence course in accounting. One of the few things he brought aboard, he spent his free time studying to earn his certification.
He reminisced about when one of his fellow service members convinced him to come along for dinner at a family friend’s house.
It was this night he met his future wife, Irene.
“It was love at first sight,” he said.
Just a few years younger than her, they exchanged letters as his duty took him away. A year later, they were married in San Francisco and soon welcomed their first child, David.
Today, David is a doctor of classical language at the University of Virginia. Don, his second son, was welcomed soon after. While now retired, Don enjoyed a long career as a medical doctor in Carlisle, Pa.
Kovacs Jr.’s family settled in Lyndhurst, where he worked to build his career as an accountant. Through the years, he never strayed from the principles he was taught as a young man.
“I never drank or smoked, and I always took time to exercise,” he responded when asked about the secret to his long life.
Gail Stratton, Kovacs Jr.’s niece, helped care for her uncle prior to him moving into Brooks House.
“I’m so grateful for the years I’ve been able to help care for my uncle Frank. When I started caring for my uncle back in April 2010, I did not expect the added blessing of being able to reconnect both with my dad and my grandfather, ’Apa,’” she said. “The one character trait that stands out when I think about my uncle is the unwavering, faithful response to the call of duty. As a member of the ‘greatest generation,’ he exemplified that trait of going above and beyond. I am honored to be part of his life and hope to mirror his example: ‘May all who come behind us find us faithful.’”
Kovacs Jr.’s sons echoed Stratton, highlighting their father’s faith as being a significant part of who he is.
“Our father, Frank Kovacs, now 105 years old, is a religious man and has always attributed all of the blessings of his life to the goodness of God,” they said via email. “He has also told us about his childhood, when he came down with — and survived — the deadly Spanish influenza of 1918, which killed thousand upon thousands. I think he once suggested that making it through this crisis made him especially tough.
“Life is mysterious and we can often be in doubt about the causes of things, but whatever it was that allowed him to live so long, we are very glad that he is still with us and still enjoying remarkably good health.”
